HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Jewelyn Sawyer comes up big for Gahr

TORRANCE - Top-seeded Gahr High was not going to be denied, despite a hard-charging North Torrance team that made it work for four quarters.

Whenever No. 9-seeded North would make a run, visiting Gahr would answer with a big 3-pointer or put the ball into the hands of senior captain Jewelyn Sawyer, who had a monster night during her team's 66-48 victory Wednesday in the CIF-SS Division 3-AAA quarterfinals.

Gahr advances to play at Laguna Hills on Saturday night in the semifinals.

The Long Beach State- bound Sawyer led the way with 23 points, 15 rebounds, six steals and five blocks.

"She's our senior leader and we were able to get the ball inside to her," Gahr interim coach David Garcia said. "We outmatched them inside. There's a reason she's going to Long Beach State."

Gahr (21-8) jumped out to an 11-0 lead that North (16-11) bit in to slightly, but never enough to represent a big threat.

Several times North looked on the verge of making a close game of it, but Gahr typically killed the building momentum by knocking down a 3-pointer.

North pulled to within 46-35 early in the third quarter on a basket by Tiara Scott, but Gahr's Sydney Teodoro promptly responded with a 3-pointer.

Again North pulled to within 11 after Kareena Paxton made a pair of free throws, and again Gahr responded with a 3-pointer, this time by Jasmine Gates.

North pulled to within eight points with 3 minutes left before Ra'Vyn Bowser hit a 3-pointer to keep the Saxons at bay.

"Every time they made a run we hit a big 3," Garcia said. "But we also rebounding well and had a nice fast break."

Gahr opened the game in style when Bowser knocked down a 3-pointer and Teodoro had a steal and Agu for a layup. Then Sawyer made six straight points to give the Gladiators an 11-0 lead.

North, which took third place in the Pioneer League under first-year coach Lauren Kamiyama, played Gahr close the rest of the way, but never could overcome the 11-point run to open the game.

"We knew they were a good 3-point shooting team and we were able to deny them all night," Garcia said. "But they gave us all we could handle. In the end I think it was our experience that took over."

Gates had 13 points and seven rebounds, Bowser had 11 points, Teodoro had nine points on three 3-pointers and Chidera Agu added eight points for the Gladiators, who finished in second in the San Gabriel Valley League.